The Knock
by Priss-hanyo
Summary: Kag's day began as usual, taking kids to school, running errands, mailing off monthly care package to Inuyasha and waiting for her phone call. That, was the daily routine until a 'knock' replaced the 'ring' and thats when her world fell apart or did it...


Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Okay so the idea for this story came on my way to Krogers and I knew I had to write it down. This is going to be a one shot. Here's the background to the story; It takes place in our time the 21st Century. There's a war going on and Inuyasha has been sent to fight this war. What you really need to know is that Kagome is the left behind spouse with kids as he goes to fight across the seas in a different time zone.

The Knock

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There are many things as a left behind spouse one dreads and keeps an eye out for.

One, is the phone call from e-army messaging informing you that their has been a casualty with in your soldiers unit and you cringe, your heart breaking knowing that whomever they say you will know that spouse. This message only goes out after the family has been notified.

Two, is the e-army messaging telling you that there is a mandatory meeting for all and that your kids are not recommended due to the severity of the incident that you will be learning about at the said meeting. Right now you're wondering what an e-army messaging is. It's an electronic phone call that goes out to all who need to know; families of the soldiers.

Third, you keep your eye out for any government vehicle on your street knowing it can't be good cause they only come for one thing and you already have a plan in place if that is the case. Turn around and run, 'NEVER GO HOME!' Even if you have no idea if its for you or another neighbor. Your fear drives you not-to-find-out.

Fourth, this is the worst one it's the unexpected knock on your door that you never saw coming.

It had been seven months since Inuyasha had been sent to go fight in the War, leaving her behind with the kids to man the home front. By now Kagome was in a routine. Get up at zero six thirty look over at her second clock which was set to Inuyasha's time it was seventeen hundred his time (five pm) he would be going to bed in a few hours she noted. Then she would get the kids up and dressed make breakfast then drop them off at school. (Her youngest being in preK-3 and her oldest being in 1st grade.)

Today was the day she would go to the post office and mail off Inuyasha care package with all his favorite stuff; Ramen, gum, drawings from the kids and things he needed like shampoo, deodorant, envelopes to mail letters home and pictures of her and the kids. She did this once a month, sending him pieces of home to brighten his day.

Although in all honesty he wasn't bothered about being sent to fight, he loved to fight. For him it was a sense of duty, honor and pride being able to protect his family from harm, serve one's country and fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. This knowledge only made it easier for Kagome to accept that he wasn't miserable where he was at and so she shouldn't be either. Their only regret was being away from each other.

The kids had been managing okay with dad gone. There was some crying here and there and the little one had taken to crying for Grandpa since- well- he's here. The oldest is good till he sees someone in uniform and yells, "That's dad!" After seven months he finally understands that it's not dad and that he won't be back for another five months. But on their bad days they all cry for him. It breaks her heart as she watches her children cry out and there is nothing she as their mom can do to make it better or go away.

This day was starting good. The care-package was on its way to Inuyasha and it was only nine in the morning. He should be calling around this time but as the time ticked on and she drove towards the commissary to get food her phone didn't ring. She wasn't worried he didn't call everyday so this was actually normal. He probably was busy with paperwork, phone lines could be down which was very normal or a blackout, which in that case she wouldn't know about till a few days from now anyway so hakuna matata she liked to say.

She ran her errands and made it home in time to unload, put grocery away and began to prepare her lunch. As she pulled out the cold cuts, mayonnaise and chips. There was a soft knock on her door, she paused wondering if she had really heard the knock but then she heard it again this time firmer. She froze not knowing why someone would be knocking on her door. Her first impulse being to look at the clock that she kept letting her know what time it was where Inuyasha was. It was two in the morning there, so he had to be in bed and not out on any dangerous patrol.

She took a shaking breath in as she collected her wit and made her way to the door, her heart pounding against her rib cage a shiver running down her spine. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge as she reached the door. She was barely able to see that there were two people at her door, the glass design on her door made it virtually impossible to see who they were without her opening the door. She gulped as she felt her body tense in horrid anticipation, her hand shaking as she reached for the doorknob to open her door.

There at her door stood two gentlemen both dressed in uniform, the Army Blues. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized her fears coming to fruition. It was the CAO, Casualty Assistant Officer. It was to late for her to ignore the knock on the door and sneak out the back and run. It was to late for her to pretend she didn't hear the knock, there they stood at her door and she wanted with all her will to shut the door and wish them away. She wished with all her will that this was a nightmare that she could awake from, but her gut told her it was all true. Her love, her heart, her everything was gone and there was nothing she could do to change it.

She knew her world was over as her throat constricted and she felt hers eyes begin to burn with the unshed tears. But try as she might she couldn't hold them off a tear slowly making its way down her cheek followed by another joining the first on its journey down. Her heart pounded faster as she took in a breath of air having not realized that she had been holding her breath. She opened her door wider to let them in having watch them talk to her but not having heard what was said; her heart pounding so loud in her ears all other sounds lost to her.

She shut the door behind them bracing her self at the door for a moment afraid if she let go that she would collapsed on the floor, her legs almost betraying her as she stepped away. She gathered what little strength she had left and led the Army Officer and the Chaplain to her living room where they proceeded to sit down. She must have told them to, her mouth had move but she couldn't remember forming the words. She silently walked away chanting a mantra, this isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real. Please Kami, she pleaded, this isn't real!

She stood at her sink shaking trying to gain control over her body. Every breath she took labored as she vainly tried to gain her composure as the tears kept falling though no sound escaped her parted mouth. 'Oh Kami, the kids!' They don't even know yet. Her heart shattering more then she thought possible. She couldn't breath as the tears now poured down her face as she fought to take in a strangled breathe of air.

How was she to tell her children that their father, their _'dad'_ was not coming home. Oh, she couldn't bear the thought of their broken hearts, their tear streak faces and the promises that dad had made that he would be back, her promises that everything would be okay. Promises that were never meant to be kept, promises they shouldn't have made. Her knees gave way as she crumpled in front of her sink no longer able to stand as she wrapped her arms around her, hugging her self as she rocked back and forth. Trying so hard to stop everything from spinning out of her control.

Her heart pounded loud in her ear drowning all other sounds out as she sat their rocking the tears continuing to make their way down her face and unto her shirt. All she could see before her was their two beautiful children asking her 'Why?' Yes, why? Why, had they been foolish enough to make such promises!

But it was to late, all her dreams for her and her children were being cruelly crushed by the reality of her new life with out him in it. Her fatherless children and her a widow. She fought for another breath of air, having felt her throat tightening under the pressure. She managed to gasp in a little bit of air. Life wasn't fair this wasn't how she had pictured her future. She desperately fought to take another breath finding it nearly impossible to breath. Finally she managed to take a jagged breath of air in, letting out a bitter cry in anguish the tears pouring in rivers at the loss of all hope and dreams she had had for her family as she collapsed into darkness.

Kagome shot awake, looking around her bewilder. She had fallen asleep on the couch, her lunch sitting unfinished in front of her on the coffee table. Wait..! Had it all been just a dream? Then she heard the knock on her door, that persistent knock, that dreaded knock and made her decision. She quickly and as quietly as possible put her shoes on and made her way out the back door and ran not looking back.

The FedEx man stood there waiting for someone to answer the door as he saw a shadow go across the glass of the door. He knocked one more time in hopes that someone was home. He waited another minute and gave up placing a package at the door and walking back to his truck and pulling away from her house and the neighborhood.

The package sat at her door as the wind blew gently the note on top of the package being teased open by the wind. Written inside was a short message; I love you Kagome. I'll be home soon. Love Inuyasha.

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I could not in good conscious end it with him dead as you can tell. Many people have wander about our fear of the knock on the door and this I hope explains that knock. I will never forget my first un-announce knock on the door with my first experience with a deployment. It was eight thirty at night and I knew that the CAO could still show up as late as nine at night in my area, when I had that knock on the door. (Each place has different cut off times.) That was the first thought, my immediate second thought was to look at the clock set to my husband time and see where he was in his day, his day was about to begin in another hour. It was a nerve racking experience I will never forget as I made my way to the front door. The house was silent kids asleep only I was awake. What made this whole experience worse was when I went to turn on the outside light the bulb didn't work! So I couldn't even see who it was through the decorative oval glass door; it being dark already. When I finally opened it, it was a lady who had knocked on the wrong door. I wanted to strangle her for the scare that she had given me but of course I didn't; she didn't know my fear. As a military spouse this scenario is truly our worst nightmare.

Please let me know what you think, thank you!

Priss^^


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